Chapter 6
Bird had set her alarm clock earlier to prepare a breakfast for the men and the rest of the crew. She was no less surprised to experience an empty ship. Worried, she rushed to the bridge. Vic was glued to his chair, listening to whatever interesting message he could and Jerry was standing outside on the bridge wing, staring at the coast. She went outside and walked over to him.
"Morning Buffer, still no news?"
"Ah? Birdie, good morning and no, still no news. I'm just wondering why!", he said.
She had a frightened look, "Did something happen?"
He looked at her suspiciously, "Hmm, let's have a quick look", he said.
He turned around and walked in, "Vic! Bird and I are going ashore to see what the fuck is going on over there. You have the ship and don't try to leave!", he said.
"I have the ship? Me Buf?", Vic said, sitting down at once.
"Yes, you! Who else? Do you see anyone else around?", he grumbled.
"Ah? Uh, no Buf", he stuttered.
"Very well! Keep listening. We'll take the other Rhib and we'll take a gun. As a precaution, you never know", Jerry said, starting down the stairs, Bird at his heels.
A few minutes later, they arrived at the beach. Everything seemed normal, far from hostile. However, it was the morning after a disastrous party. Bottles, cups and sleeping men everywhere. Jerry and Bird were scouring the beach looking for anything dodgy, but found nothing. He walked over to Bird who was staring at something in the sand behind a fold. "What did you find?", he asked her and when he noticed what she was looking at, he grinned.
2Dads and RO were lying next to each other sound asleep, completely naked.
"What's up Birdie, you have never seen a dick in your life?", he questioned roughly.
"Aah? Uh? No.. yes..but it's different", she stuttered, blushing.
He looked at the two men with a smirk on his face, "I want to be there when these two show up in front of the X!"
I can already imagine her face. Priceless!
Jerry shrugged, "Okay, the party's over here! Let's wake them up. But, did you see the officers?", he asked.
"Uh? No, not yet", Bird replied, looking frantically around.
"Hmm, you start by waking them up, I'll look further", he said.
A few meters further he found the officers. Mike was lying on his back, snoring slightly and Kate was lying next to him with her head on his chest as a pillow. Her hand was resting on his belly. Mike still had his clothes on but Kate, her blouse was knotted under her chest revealing her midriff and she was wearing a straw skirt. Only a straw skirt! A bare leg and buttocks peeked through the straw skirt.
Jerry watched the scene disapprovingly.
So, that, they're up to break the rules! The fraternisation rules are apparently relative to them. Okay lovebirds, the fun is over now!
He leaned down and gently shook Mike's shoulder. "Sir? Sir?".
Mike started fidgeting. "Uh…"
"Sir! Good morning sir! And happy New Year!", he said a little sarcastically.
"Uh… Aah… Who..is…it?", he mumbled.
"The Buffer Sir!", Jerry said enthusiastically.
"Aah! Okay, okay, okay, okay, I'm coming", Mike grumbled leaning on his elbows, blinking in discomfort from the sunlight.
Then Jerry shook gently Kate's shoulder who had started to move at Mike's movement.
"Ma'am! Good morning ma'am and a very happy New Year!", he said curtly.
"Ooooh!", Kate moaned, rolling on her back. She blinked to get a better look at Buffer's impassive face.
"Good morning X!", he repeated with a grin, ogling her legs.
"Okay, okay, I already know it!", she grumbled annoyed.
"I leave you. I've to wake up the crew", Buffer said dryly before walking away.
Kate sat up and that's when she realised what she was wearing or rather what she wasn't wearing. She felt the blood leave her face.
She nudged Mike fiercely, "Give me your shirt!", she hissed through her teeth.
"Uh? Why?", he replied gently.
"Don't ask! Do it!", she snapped.
"Uh?", he mumbled, starting to unbutton his shirt.
"What are you wearing?", he asked amused, but his smile froze when he saw her glare.
"Don't you dare!", she grumbled.
Kate snatched the shirt from his hands, put it on and buttoned it up. She stood up and pulled down the shirt under Mike's astonished glance. It was like she was wearing a too wide and too short dress. "Where's your trousers?", he asked innocently.
"I said, don't!", she snapped again, tears of humiliation burning her eyelids.
"I want to go to the ship, now!", she added sternly.
Mike also stood up with a sigh, "Okay, okay, but take a few men with you already".
He looked at her worriedly, "Kate, what's the matter?", he asked, but she was already walking away.
"Don't!", he heard her say.
Mike rubbed his face, walking to the majority of the crew.
Ouch, it was heavy! I wonder what caused this. What a headache! Normally I can handle it, but this time? I can barely remember anything.
He saw that most of the crew members were awake and how they shuffled around to collect the artefacts of the party.
Did we do anything special? Hmm…
2Dads cocktail! He said he found something on this island. Okay, it was tasty, but what was it? Pfft! Now we have to find a way to get our geezers back on their feet.
He found Bomber.
Yeah, that's it! A good breakfast can work miracles.
"Bomber?", he said, heading for her.
Ouch! She looks more like a zombie than a human being.
"Sir?", she replied.
"I would like you to prepare a good breakfast to boost our men", he said.
"Okay sir", she replied trying to smile, but it didn't work.
His eyes fell on a half-full bottle of the cocktail 2Dads had brought. "This bottle, I want to have it analysed. I want to know what's in there that caused this disaster", he said, pointing at it.
"Okay sir", she replied wearily, grabbing the bottle.
"Thanks", he said, taking it.
Meanwhile, Bird had found Kate.
"X?"
"Yes?", Kate replied annoyed because she didn't feel happy at all.
"I think we have a situation with 2Dads and RO", she said. Her glance slid over the shirt and the straw skirt and a smile began to spread across her face. But when she looked up, the smile vanished into thin air.
Kate gave her one of the best XO glares, "And?", she asked icily.
"Aah, uh, they… they are over there", she stuttered, pointing to a fold.
"So what's the matter?", she snapped.
"I can't wake them up! Can you have a look?", she replied slightly panicked.
"I'm coming", Kate replied reluctantly because she didn't want to move. They went to the place indicated. Kate was pulling the shirt down hoping we wouldn't notice.
"Here they are", Bird said, passing over the dune.
Kate widened her eyes and glared wildly at Bird, "You could have told me! What does that mean?", she snapped after glancing at the two naked men.
"I can't wake them up, but they're still breathing!", Bird said sadly.
Kate quickly realized that the young sailor didn't want to pull her legs. "Alcoholic coma, I suppose", Kate answered, "Take them to the ward and examine them".
"And put a blanket or something on….you know! For God's sake!", she snapped again.
Meanwhile some locals discovered that the sailors were awake and they strolled over the beach. One of them, a young man, walked over to Mike who had found another bottle.
"Hi", he said in an awful English, "I see you have bottle. Good not?"
"Hi", Mike replied, "Tasty, but dangerous".
"You Aussies are a little crazy! Older men only drink a small glass. You drink a lot of big glasses", he said shaking his head.
"Is it? Hmm, thanks for the info", Mike replied thoughtfully.
2Dads! What the hell have you done to us again?
Later, on the Hammersley. A smell of fried eggs, bacon and coffee was clearly noticeable in the ship.
Bird moved nervously through the corridors and stopped at the galley. She poked her head inside and saw Bomber, leaning against the sideboard with her eyes closed, one arm folded over her stomach and her other hand pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Bomber? Can you give me a hand in the wardroom? There are plenty of people who all need something", she asked sadly.
"Oh, by the way, it smells good here. I'll get myself a breakfast as soon as I can!"
"Becca?", she said trying to draw her attention.
Rebecca looked up and Bird noticed beads of sweat on her forehead and how pale she looked.
"Jess, don't talk about food! It was already horrible preparing it and smelling it. Even more to talk about it.", she replied wearily.
"Becca, the ward…?"
"Jess, you're a big girl now, you can handle that and leave me alone", Rebecca said weakly her eyes closed.
"But…."
But, Bomber rushed to the sink and threw up. She hung slumped against it with closed eyes.
"Bec? Are you okay?", Bird asked.
"Jess,… go… away… and let me die… in peace", she mumbled just before throwing up again.
Bird left silently the galley and headed for the ward with a twinge, hoping that there were enough pills to treat hangovers and upset stomach.
Mike entered the officers' mess with his breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon.
He noticed that Kate was back in her DPNU uniform. She was sitting slumped on a chair and staring gloomy at a glass of water in which a tablet was dissolving.
"Hey Kate".
"Hi".
"How do you feel now?", he asked.
"Badly", was the answer.
"Hmm, you seemed angry this morning. Are you still?", he asked.
She frowned. "No, it wasn't that. It was ill-at-ease. I felt ridiculous in that stupid straw skirt. I was only wearing that!", she said wearily.
"Uh?", he mumbled, looking at her.
"Yeah, you heard me right, only that!"
"Ouch!"
Kate was still frowning, "Have you ever heard of panties?", she whispered.
He shook his head, "No".
"Do you know what I did last night? Or what we did last night?", Kate asked.
Mike shook his head, "I don't remember me anything. The cocktail of 2Dads must have been very strong. I asked to examine that liquid", he said and he took a bite of egg and bacon.
Kate made a face, "Aren't you suffering from it?", she asked as beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
He shrugged, "A bit of a headache, but it will pass with a good breakfast", he replied light-hearted, raising his egg-laden fork.
"I don't understand how you can handle so much alcohol", Kate replied weakly and Mike noticed that her face was turning greenish.
"Kate, are you okay?", he asked worriedly.
"No!", she croaked and jumped up. A hand clamped against her mouth she rushed out and Mike looked at her baffled.
To be continued